PREVIEW
Two teams needing wins if they are to stay alive in the chase for places in the MLS Cup Playoffs meet when Toronto FC play host to the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday evening at BMO Field. TFC come into the match in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, three points below the red line and the final playoff position, following their 3-0 loss at the LA Galaxy last weekend. The Dynamo are four points further back, following their 1-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls to start their two-game road swing.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, after playing in a home-and-home series over two weekends July 12-19. Jermain Defoe scored twice in the second half as TFC came back from a two-goal deficit for a 4-2 victory at BMO Field in the first match; Brad Davis scored twice for the Dynamo in the return match, but the teams settled for a 2-2 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The teams have played to draws in four of their last five meetings, including the first encounter this year at BMO Field. TFC has come away from Houston with points on each of their last four visits, though they have not won there since 2010.

The Houston Dynamo saw their undefeated streak come to an end after five games, falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Dynamo are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 36 points from 30 games.

LAST MATCH

The game's lone goal came the 47th minute. Lloyd Sam raced down the right flank and unleashed a low cross that Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric got a hand to, but the ball still continued across the face of goal. It dropped right into the path of Thierry Henry, and he had an easy tap-in finish into the empty goal.

The Red Bulls finished the game a man down when Tim Cahill – just three minutes after coming on as an 85th-minute substitute, was sent off by referee Jair Marrufo for delivering a rough tackle on Dynamo winger Boniek Garcia.

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made no changes to the team that defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dynamo lost for the first time since Aug. 23 when they fell 3-0 to the Columbus Crew. Their five-game undefeated run (3-0-2) was their longest of the league campaign.

“Unfortunately we didn’t come out of the gates well,” Brad Davis said. “I feel like we’ve allowed too many goals, or at least too many good chances right out of the locker room. That’s definitely something we would like to do better at. Tonight it’s the difference in the game.”

“Just an attitude change,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “I think we were chasing the game a little bit, pushing more guys forward and just had better possession and better movement.”

The Dynamo were also shut out at the attacking end for the second time in three matches. The Dynamo have been shut out in each of their last three defeats.

“Coming out of the first half [we] were just lackadaisical for a couple minutes and then 1-0 and then that’s about it,” said goalkeeper Tyler Deric. “ … I don’t know if that’s been our season so far, you know it’s just one of those things where we tried to come out sharp and everyone’s prepared but we just have to go out and do it.”

Giles Barnes and Omar Cummings formed the strike partnership for a fifth consecutive match. Cummings came off the final quarter of the match, as Andrew Driver replaced him.

There will be a change for certain for the Toronto FC match after Boniek Garcia was called into the Honduras national team for the FIFA international window. Driver started in place of Garcia when he last missed a match, Sept. 20 vs. Philadelphia.

“We had some really good chances … we were pressing, we were pushing, it was one of those things where I think we really were spiraling when a goal down you know? I think we had a little bit of a low there at the end of the second half and obviously beginning of the first half,” Davis said. “So it was tough – I think we did have some chances there to definitely get ourselves back in the game, so, obviously very disappointed.”